Waves of Sound
by Floriessence
Summary: Long after he left Raimon, Kazemaru Ichirouta began a professional soccer career in Italy. However, the journey proved to be more difficult than he imagined. That was until he started listening to Song For You, a radio show. Now, he can't live without it. This is loosely based off what is known of the first generation characters as adults, with my own personal spins. Kazemaru x OC
1. How It All Began

**[Chapter 1 - How It All Began]**

Her voice was like the wind.

Whenever it reached his ears, he could feel all of his muscles instantly relax, the burns and aches accumulated from long practice hours melting away like butter. His life became routine: wake up, go to practice, shower, and then relax to Aria Romano's radio show, Song For You, until her voice lulled him to sleep.

He never really understood what it was that made him like the show so much. Aria's voice was crisp and cheerful, for one part. But perhaps what really did it was that she always made her listeners feel included. Many times he had felt compelled to send in a letter, to express his gratitude to her and her show for helping him during the darkest times of his soccer career.

Soccer was an important part of his life, but important would have been an understatement. Soccer was his entire world; without it, he would have nothing else, so the fact that he was able to make a career out of the sport was more than he could ever want. When he had received the offer to play professionally in Italy, he thought his life was set.

That was until he had experienced for the first time, life outside of his native country Japan. Yes, he had gone traveling outside of Japan before, but unless it was for overseas tournaments, he had never stayed in foreign countries for too long, especially on his own. While the idea of life outside Japan had been both thrilling and liberating, the reality hadn't been easy.

The food had been one thing. Although delicious, it had been difficult for him to stomach meals that he was not used to. Gone were the days of rice and seafood, replaced instead with bread and noodles.

Language was a whole other issue on its own. He had immediately felt the language barrier with his limited Italian. His teammates were thankfully understanding of his situation and tried to help as much as possible, but the language barrier made any sort of communication challenging.

With so much occurring in the early stages of his professional soccer career, the thought of quitting and moving back to Japan crossed his mind now and then. That all ended when his team's trainer Isabella introduced him to Song For You.

"Ichirouta," she had said, beckoning him after practice one day. He complied, only to be given a piece of paper with the name Aria Romano and the words Song For You. "Aria's radio show is one of my favorites," the girl explained. "She has helped me through the toughest times. I highly recommend it." He had stared down at the paper, perplexed, before giving Isabella a smile and returning home. He figured that it wouldn't hurt to listen to this Aria Romano's show.

So once he had gotten comfortable on his couch and changed into loungewear, he tuned in for Song For You. At this point, he didn't understand how a radio show could give him the life-changing experience Isabella had promised.

Right as he was about to stop listening, Aria's segment began. His hand stopped as soon as he heard her introduction: "This is Aria Romano and you are listening to Song For You! The night is young so let's have fun tonight!"

A few minutes into the show, his first thought was _'I wish I had known about this sooner'_. It was difficult to describe exactly how the show made him feel other than that it made him comfortable. Aria felt like a friend rather than a radio personality. Her voice gave him strength. She had a way with words, and her words were affecting him.

Kazemaru Ichirouta was hooked. After that first night, his outlook on his life in Italy completely changed. His Italian grew exponentially, which also increased his confidence. He socialized more with his teammates, and met with his friends from Raimon more often, as a few like Someoka Ryuugo and Kidou Yuuto were also playing soccer professionally in Italy.

Aria Romano had changed him. Despite his busy schedule, Kazemaru had made a few attempts to attend the occasional meet-ups the radio personality hosted for her listeners, but to no avail. Aria's listener base was so large that there was always limited entry. Of course, Kazemaru missed them every time.

At the current point in time, the young man was content to leave things as they were. Aria would continue to be his support, and he would have the liberty to imagine what she was like in person.

Yes, he told himself. He was content.

* * *

"Earth to Ichirouta! Hey, you alright?"

Kazemaru jumped. He had been staring aimlessly at his beer for who knows how long. He looked up to see his friend Fideo Ardena looking at him with concern. Someoka and Kidou, who were also present, glanced at each other, silently asking the other if they knew what was up. The four men had decided to catch up at a bar that night, and Kazemaru hadn't been responsive for the past ten minutes.

Kazemaru gave Fideo an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Fideo. Were you saying something?"

Fideo shook his head and grinned. "It's fine. I was just telling everyone that my old university is hosting a reunion party next week. I wanted to invite you three."

"Someoka and I already said we would go," Kidou said, taking a sip of his beer. "It sounds interesting."

"Yeah, who knows?" Someoka added. He picked up a chicken leg. "It would be nice to be around girls for once." He took a bite of the meat and chewed thoughtfully. "Soccer's great, but it doesn't really give us time for much else."

Fideo chuckled. "So you're at that age already, huh Ryuugo?" he teased.

Someoka slung an arm around Fideo's shoulder. "What does that make you?" he retorted. "We're the same age, you know. Unless you already have someone you haven't told us about?" Someoka smirked. Fideo laughed and shook his head.

"I wish." He turned back to Kazemaru. "So, what do you say? Want to go to the reunion with us?"

Kazemaru pondered. He didn't have practice on Saturdays, so he wasn't necessarily busy…but that meant missing Aria's show that night. The reunion was most definitely an evening event. He looked at his friends. With everyone's busy schedules, it was difficult to all be in one place. Kazemaru smiled to himself. Well, one night wouldn't hurt. "Sure," he finally answered. "Count me in."

"All right!" Someoka cheered.

"Thanks for agreeing to go with me, guys! It'll be fun," Fideo promised.

"I'm looking forward to it," Kazemaru said. He took a sip of his beer and looked out the window. He had already missed Song For You that night, but oh well. He could live with reruns.


	2. Overture

[Chapter 2 – Overture]

Kazemaru was in trouble. He stood in front of his bed where three different suits were laid out: one dark navy, another black, and the last white. His brows were furrowed in concentration. It was the night of Fideo's university reunion party, and he had no idea what to wear. He wouldn't usually have been this concerned about his attire. He wasn't a sloppy dresser by any means, but he had also never agonized over his clothing to this extent.

The reason for this was a phone conversation he had with Someoka the night before. After talking about soccer the subject meandered towards the party. What his friend had told him had gotten Kazemaru thinking.

"I wonder if I'll meet someone nice," Someoka had said. "I know you guys probably brushed it off as a joke the last time but I meant it. Having someone to share my life with would really spruce things up. I mean, look at Endou. Lucky bastard. Beat all of us to it." Someoka laughed. He was content with his life right now, but seeing their mutual friend Endou Mamoru happily married inspired him to get a girlfriend.

Thinking about it, Kazemaru agreed with him. Both of them had attended Endou's wedding. It was a small ceremony with close friends and family, but was just as lively with everyone playing soccer after the reception. Seeing the newlyweds giving each other loving glances throughout the day had made Kazemaru feel a pang of jealousy. He had dated a few girls before, but the relationships had never lasted, with the girls complaining that he spent too much time playing soccer.

Kidou had told him that those girls had only been after his looks and fame, so of course they weren't going to be as understanding about his soccer career. Kazemaru hadn't honestly cared much for those relationships so it had worked out either way; the girls had all been the ones to approach him after all.

He might not have cared for his past relationships but rejection still hurt, and the fact that soccer had prevented him from having any substantial relationships made him frustrated. He needed someone who could understand how much he loved the sport. It was his livelihood.

' _Maybe Someoka is right,'_ he thought. Maybe he should try dating again, make his life colorful. He might meet someone at the party, someone who could instantly make him happy like Aria Romano did. If he ever hoped to do so, he needed to make a good first impression. The perfect suit could do the trick, but his dilemma was that he had no idea which suit would work best for the occasion.

In the end, he decided on the dark navy suit with a matching tie, white dress shirt, black oxfords, and gray overcoat. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked dressy, but not too much. Fideo did remind everyone the day before that the event was going to be semi-classy.

Kazemaru ran a hand through his hair and nodded at his reflection. He looked nice enough. Hopefully someone at the party would think the same way. He groaned. Someoka had gotten him worked up about something he hadn't cared about before. Kazemaru went to his dresser to pick up his favorite cologne. He was just finished using it when the doorbell rang. Kazemaru walked over to answer it. He knew who it was.

Kidou was at the door, looking dashing in a dark gray suit with a white dress shirt, red tie, and grey oxfords. Kazemaru raised an eyebrow. Kidou wasn't wearing his goggles.

Kazemaru leaned against the wall. "Hey Kidou, that's a first. No goggles today?"

Kidou shrugged. His sharp red eyes pierced Kazemaru's auburn ones. "It's a special occasion," he answered. He gestured behind him. "You ready to go? The others are waiting downstairs."

Kazemaru nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's head out." The two men left the apartment.

* * *

"You said _semi-classy_ , right?" Someoka asked, looking surprised. He was wearing his usual white suit with a white dress shirt, grey belt, white oxfords, and white fedora. He and his three friends entered the party venue, an upscale hotel with marble walls and tall glass windows.

Fideo, who was standing next to him, laughed at his friend's reaction. "Is it not classy enough?" The Italian came dressed in a white dress shirt, dark navy vest and tie, grey oxfords, and matching light grey dress pants and suit jacket.

Kazemaru could feel eyes on them. He caught girls stealing glances at him and his friends and giggling to themselves. The four men were definitely a handsome group. Kazemaru was uncomfortable. He came to accept the fact that girls found him attractive, but he never got used to the attention. Kazemaru felt a hand on his back push him forward. He looked beside him to see Fideo.

"Let's hurry in before it gets too crowded," he said, grinning. Kazemaru nodded, taking a moment to give a quick glance over his shoulder to see if they were still being watched.

They were. He could see girls whispering excitedly to themselves. Some were even so daring as to sneak a picture. Kazemaru sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

The four men entered the hotel's main ballroom, where the party was in full swing. It was stunning, with chandeliers, polished hardwood floors, tall glass windows, and long tables full of dainty refreshments. Servers walked around carrying platters of finger food, which they offered to the guests. Fideo picked a sandwich and took a bite, nodding in approval. Kidou took some crackers and cheese while Kazemaru picked up a glass of champagne.

Someoka looked around. Young men and women in elegant clothing were bustling about and socializing. "This is much fancier than I thought. Thank god we're properly dressed." He glanced down at his attire.

Fideo chuckled. "I guess you're right. My university tends to go all out."

"You went to a private university, right?" Kidou asked. "If I remember correctly, it's one of the most prestigious universities in Italy."

At that, Fideo sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "It's not that impressive. My alma mater just gets a lot of funding from alumni, so it's able to use a percentage of it to host parties like this."

Fideo then noticed Someoka sneaking glances at a girl at the refreshment table. She was petite, with a slender frame and long brown hair. She was putting food on a plate. Fideo nudged Someoka. "Ryuugo, who are you looking at?" He looked up and spotted the girl. Fideo grinned. "Are you interested in her? You should go talk to her." He had a teasing twinkle in his eye.

"What?!" Someoka sputtered. "I just think she looks nice. If I tried to talk to her she'd be scared off."

"So you _do_ want to talk to her," Kazemaru teased. He found it fun to see Someoka look so flustered. "Go on, give it a go."

As if on cue, the live orchestra started playing ballroom music. Some of the guests stopped what they were doing and went in pairs towards the dance floor. The song playing right now was a waltz, so the couples circled around in a swirl of skirts.

Kidou gestured towards the girl. "Someoka, if you want to talk to her, now's your chance." Someoka looked embarrassed. At his friends' urging, he let out a deep breath.

"Okay, I'll do it," he said, determined. I'll ask her to dance."

"That's the spirit!" Fideo said. He clapped his friend on the back and pushed him towards the girl. "Good luck!"

Kidou, Kazemaru, and Fideo watched as Someoka walked awkwardly towards the girl. They saw the two start talking. The girl looking surprised at first, but later smiled and took Someoka's hand. The couple walked onto the dance floor and quickly merged into the crowd of dancers.

"They look good together," Kazemaru commented. He smiled seeing the happy look on Someoka's face.

Kidou nodded. "Let's give him some time alone with her."

Fideo looked around and spotted a group of people across the room. "Hey, there's my friends!" he said excitedly. "Come on, I'll introduce you guys." Fideo gestured for his friends to follow him and the three made their way to the group.

* * *

There were three young men and two women chattering excitedly together. One of the men saw Fideo and his eyes instantly lit up.

"Fideo! You made it." He and Fideo clapped each other on the back.

"How've you been, Roberto?" Fideo asked. "It's been a while!" At this point, the other four in the group noticed Fideo too and started crowding around him. Fideo laughed in the midst of the commotion. "Guys! I have some people I want to introduce," he said. Fideo gestured to Kazemaru and Kidou. "This is Ichirouta Kazemaru and Yuuto Kidou. They're also professional soccer players and my friends from when I was in the FFI Tournament ten years ago."

Fideo then gestured to his college friends. "These are some of my best friends from college," he explained. He started from the left. "Roberto Capello, Liam Esposito, Vincente Ferrero, Karissa Fiore, and Marzia Santoro."

Roberto was tall and lean, with short silver hair and auburn eyes. He looked very mature in a black suit and tie, but the mischievous twinkle in his eyes gave away his friendly personality. Liam was a head shorter than Roberto, with chin-length brown hair and blue eyes. He had softer features, and his lean frame was dressed in a white suit and navy blue tie. Vincente was in between Liam and Roberto in terms of height, with slicked back black hair and blue eyes. He looked snazzy in a dark grey suit and fitting black pants. His suit jacket was edged with black, and he wore a white dress shirt and grey tie.

Marzia was petite with long, wavy brown hair and large brown eyes. She gave off a very feminine vibe with her pink, lacy A-line dress and nude heels. Karissa was a head taller than Marzia and had shoulder-length dirty blond hair and green eyes. She gave off a more mature, tomboyish vibe in a black bodycon dress and matching heels. The five were definitely a dynamic group of individuals. After everyone exchanged greetings, they immediately jumped into discussion.

"So Roberto, what do you do?" Kazemaru asked.

Roberto took a sip of his champagne. "I'm currently in medical school, hoping to become a surgeon one day." He slung an arm around Fideo's shoulder. "That way, if you guys or this fellow here need my help, I can take care of you." Roberto laughed.

"I'll be around for legal issues, I suppose," Vincente added, seemingly disinterested.

"This guy's attending law school right now," Karissa said. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's a bit rough around the edges, but you can depend on him." Vincente shrugged.

"What about you, Liam?" Kidou asked. The brunette gave a small smile.

"I'm a photographer," he answered. His voice was smooth and gentle. "Right now I'm working closely with Marzia's company."

"Marzia's a stylist," Roberto cut in. "She's brilliant when it comes to coordinating clothes. She actually helped me with mine." He laughed. Fideo turned to Marzia.

"How has that been going?" he asked. "I remember you saying that you started working as a stylist."

The girl smiled. "It's been a dream so far," she said softly. "I have met so many amazing people. Speaking of which, I might be working with Karissa's company."

Karissa gave a small nod. "The studio wants some of our talent to branch out into TV and commercials," she explained. "They have enough of a following to do well and attract new listeners. Nothing's for certain yet though." The word "listeners" peaked Kazemaru's interest.

"Listeners?" he asked. Kazemaru picked up a slider a server offered.

Karissa nodded. "Yeah. I work at a radio studio. You may have heard of it: Radio Musica."

Kazemaru froze. Hold on a second. Radio Musica was…

Kidou turned to Kazemaru. "Isn't that the studio that airs the radio show you like so much?"

Karissa raised an eyebrow. "Is it by any chance Song For You?"

"How did you—?" Kazemaru asked.

Karissa smirked. "It's one of our most popular segments right now. When people approach me or comment on our website that they like our shows, most likely they're talking about Song For You." The woman shrugged. "I'm not surprised though. Aria does a great job."

Kazemaru smiled sheepishly. This was embarrassing. Not that the fact that he liked Song For You was a secret, but talking about it front of someone that worked on it was somewhat awkward. It felt like a personal part of him was exposed and scrutinized.

"I guess I just have a lot to thank her for," he admitted slowly. "Her show helped me adjust to living here when I first came."

"Have you ever sent an email to our station?" Karissa asked. "If you haven't I could put in a word for you."

Kazemaru shook his head. "That's okay. I'm too busy as it is and I don't want to feel like I'm intruding."

"On what?" Karissa asked, surprised. "I'm sure Aria would be happy to know that her show helped you."

Kazemaru hesitated. It was a tempting offer. "Thank you for the offer, but—"

"Come on, Ichirouta!" Fideo urged. "This could be your chance."

Karissa put a finger to her chin. "Or you know what, the studio is having a get together next month. I could probably invite all of you."

"You'll feel more comfortable if you're not by yourself," Marzia said.

"If we can all go that would be awesome," Roberto said. "More time to socialize!"

Everyone looked at Kazemaru. He was deep in thought. He wanted to go. He really did. What was holding him back from immediately saying yes? Perhaps he didn't want to go holding expectations and then being disappointed.

But then, why would he be disappointed? What was there to be disappointed about? It was Aria's voice and her personality that drew him to her show. Maybe he was worried that the Aria he knew on the radio was different from the Aria in real life.

But regardless of what she was like in real life, he realized, he still admired her. If his expectations, if any, were broken, then he would live with them.

"What do you say?" Kidou whispered. Kazemaru looked at Karissa and gave her a small smile. He had his answer.

"Thank you Karissa. I would love to go."

"Yes!" Roberto cheered. "Party!"

Everyone laughed. Kazemaru looked at his new group of friends. This could be fun. He looked forward to next month.


End file.
